Why Do Facial Spots Return Even After We Succeeded in Fading Them?

Pigmentation – Understanding the Cause Before Trying to Treat the Result

One of the most frustrating problems in facial skincare is pigmentation.

We use brightening products, keep a careful skincare routine, start to see an improvement, and then summer arrives, or a period of hormonal changes, and the spots appear again.

To understand why this happens, it's worth first understanding what causes our skin to produce pigment.

Where does our skin color come from?

In the skin there are cells called melanocytes. Their role is to produce melanin, the pigment largely responsible for the color of our skin, hair, and eyes.

Melanin also has a protective role. It helps the skin cope with some of the effects of sun radiation, although it does not replace external protection.

The problem begins when melanin production increases in certain areas, or when the pigment accumulates unevenly.

That's how dark spots are formed.

Not every spot is the same spot

It's important to know several common types of pigmentation.

Sun spots: appear usually in areas exposed to the sun over the years, such as the face, the hands, and the décolletage.

Melasma: usually appears as relatively symmetrical brown spots, especially on the cheeks, the forehead, and above the upper lip. It is linked, among other things, to hormonal changes, sun radiation, and visible light.

Post-inflammatory pigmentation: can appear after pimples, irritation, burns, or inflammation of the skin.

Each of these conditions has different causes, and therefore the approach to treatment can also be different.

Why do the spots return?

Because sometimes we treat the spot itself, but not the factor that encourages its formation.

For example, a brightening product can improve the appearance of melasma, but exposure to sun and visible light may cause it to appear again.

Aggressive use of acids or peels can also cause irritation, and in some skin types the irritation itself can encourage further pigmentation.

This is one of the reasons it's important not to try to lighten the skin at all costs.

What can we do in daily life?

Sun protection is the foundation.
Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 30 every day, reapply it when outdoors, and make use of a hat and shade.

In the case of melasma, a tinted sunscreen containing iron oxides can also help protect against visible light.

Get to know ingredients that may help.
Vitamin C, azelaic acid, retinoids, and niacinamide are some of the ingredients studied in the context of uneven skin tone.

But not every ingredient suits every skin type, and it's not advisable to start using all of them together.

Avoid unnecessary irritation.
Too strong a peel or frequent use of acids won't necessarily speed up the result, and may sometimes worsen the situation.

Be patient.
Improvement in pigmentation can take months, and in some cases medical treatment is required.

And what about new spots?

It's very important not to assume every dark spot is only a cosmetic problem.

A spot that changes shape, color, or size, bleeds, or looks different from the other spots should be examined by a dermatologist.

My daily recommendation

If there's one thing I would want every woman to understand about pigmentation, it's that the goal is not to fight the skin but to understand what causes it to react.

We cannot control every hormonal change or every natural process that takes place in the body, but we can certainly protect the skin, reduce irritations, and choose a skincare routine that suits it.

And sometimes, persistence in the small actions we do every day is much more important than any one-time treatment.

Nurit Rozenblat

With love,
Nurit Rozenblat
OrOrgani

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